Excerpt from"The Wise"byCountee CullenAlejandra Dead men are wisest, for they know
How far the roots of flowers go,
How long a seed must rot to grow. Introduction Countee Cullen was born in 1903 and died in 1946. His parents left him at birth so his grandmother took care of him. But when his grandmother died, time after, Reverend Frederick Ashbury Cullen adopted him. Cullen's mother never tried to contact him, not until he became famous. Cullen had a tough unstable childhood, but it did make his writing great. Cullen has written many great poems and is known as one of the famous poets that flourished during the well known Harlem Renaissance. Analysis Cullen seems to have envy of the dead because they don't have to deal with human problems anymore. Like Cullen says they don't have any weight to carry, they are free. In the end of the poem Cullen is saying that he longs to be like them. To have no care in the world. Cullen says that people are scared of death, but not he. He is not scared because he wants that freedom and that immunity of humane emotions.
How far the roots of flowers go,
How long a seed must rot to grow.
Introduction
Countee Cullen was born in 1903 and died in 1946. His parents left him at birth so his grandmother took care of him. But when his grandmother died, time after, Reverend Frederick Ashbury Cullen adopted him. Cullen's mother never tried to contact him, not until he became famous. Cullen had a tough unstable childhood, but it did make his writing great. Cullen has written many great poems and is known as one of the famous poets that flourished during the well known Harlem Renaissance.
Analysis
Cullen seems to have envy of the dead because they don't have to deal with human problems anymore. Like Cullen says they don't have any weight to carry, they are free. In the end of the poem Cullen is saying that he longs to be like them. To have no care in the world. Cullen says that people are scared of death, but not he. He is not scared because he wants that freedom and that immunity of humane emotions.
Resources "AfroPoets Famous Writers". Afro Poets. 13 May 2009 <http://www.afropoets.net/counteecullen2.html>.
"Countee Cullen". Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia.17 May 2009. 13 May 2009 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Countee_Cullen>.
"Harlem Renaissance". Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia.21 May 2009. 13 May 2009 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harlem_Renaissance>.